An Empath’s Commandments

(stolen and adapted)

1) People are NOT your pet projects for you to fix.

2) You are NOT an ’emotional mechanic’.

3) Just because you are emotionally fine-tuned (as most empaths are) does not automatically obligate you to intervene.

4) How others choose to live their life is not your call.

5) Everybody handles trauma / distress in their own fashion.

6) People CAN change, but ONLY if they have the desire to and only if they do it themselves.

7) Interference is not a promise of good results.

8) There is nothing glamorous or cavalier about self-sacrifice.

9) Forcing change never works on anybody.

10) Accept that you cannot change everyone’s situation. That struggle is their personal journey, so give them the room they need to find their own brand of enlightenment.

11) Offer your unconditional love and unbiased understanding. This is the most you can do for an ailing heart.

12) A listening ear is extremely helpful and has a bigger impact than you think.

13) All your actions resonate for many years. You may not be present to see the results.

14) Instincts. The alarm in your head. The nagging voice in the back of your mind. That bad feeling that warns you. LISTEN TO IT. It comes from your spiritual heart which always comes from LOVE.

15) Whatever you put out in this world comes right back to you. So tried and true. A literal lesson in karma and the Law of Attraction.

16) Being negative does cause everything and everyone around you to be negative.

17) Meditation does work; helps calm you, mind, body, and soul. If you are unable to meditate on your own, find a Youtube video on mediation that works for you and follow it to clear your brain cobwebs. Do this often.

18) Heated arguments are pointless, incendiary and help no one. Walk out of the room if encountering a heated battle, before your “fight or flight response” kicks in. Petty squabbles are never worth the emotional damage it causes to your armor.

19) Some people involuntarily extinguish your light. They may not be aware of how toxic they are, but you do. Fixing them is futile and not your responsibility. Get far away from these people as you can.

20) Recognize that if you feel overwhelmed and nothing stressful is occurring in your life, you’re accidentally picking up nasty vibes from someone nearby or some local event. Time to get away for a bit or use better protection (shields, stones, etc.)

21) When in doubt, laugh! Laughter is good for the soul!

22) Know thyself and know your truth and stick to it! Don’t allow others to make you doubt yourself.

23) Know when it’s time to walk away from a situation that cannot be changed

24) “Resign as General Manager of the Universe”. Though I didn’t come up with it, it’s always reminded me that our ‘abilities’ don’t give us Admin rights. We should never carry the weight of the world on our shoulders, even when we can feel every ounce of it.

25) Everything should have an expiration date- that goes for thoughts/ideals that no longer serve our greater good, lessons we may have outgrown (keep the good, though), and even relationships that do not contribute to mutual growth.

26) Help when you can, or if its asked for, but don’t take on the full responsibility of another. Give control back to them. 

27) Don’t try to befriend everyone. Sometimes you can mis-interpret someone being lonely for their being total *insert classy, yet tastefully descriptive word here*

28) Get over it ( DON’T LET EVERYTHING GET TO YOU)

29) Accept who you are, love what you are, and respect all that you are

30) Be respectful of the emotions of others and refrain from invading into the emotions of others simply because you can.

31) Don’t concern yourself with things that don’t concern you. If its not your business, don’t make it your burden.

32) Blocking (not to be confused with shielding), analyzing or running away doesn’t help.
Feeling, acknowledging and releasing do.

33) You don’t have to identify with or keep any negative emotion – your own or anyone else’s. It is only energy, and energy becomes a problem when it stagnates. Keep it moving, let it go, transform it to light – whatever works for you.

34) Emotions can be our greatest teachers. Too many emotions that do not belong to us can confuse us, overwhelm us, and disable us. When you are unable to release an emotion, stop and ask yourself if there is a lesson this emotion will help you discover. Ask for help from whatever spiritual guidance you believe in or are able to connect with.

35) Practice mindfulness of your current emotion – mindfulness is a great tool to let go of emotional suffering and also helps us to live fully in the moment

36) to heal others you must first heal yourself